Chelsan is an 18 year old living in L.A. in the year 2320. Although some technology breakthroughs have allowed civilization to have some wicked technology, life pretty much remains the same. Except for one tiny detail… Immortality comes in the shape of a pill. You read it right; the secret for immortality has been breached and encapsulated for public consumption.

But Chelsan, our protagonist, has other things on her plate to be worrying about looking youthful forever. A high school student, Chelsan has to deal with the everyday hassle of being the “poor” scholarship kid at an elite, private school. And if that isn’t enough to give nightmares to most people, Chelsan has to also deal with a dark secret, a power that she knows little about, the ability to raise the dead.

I could’ve done better with less angst. Personally I don’t enjoy love triangles, I cannot think of a single one that hasn’t frustrated me (in a “I want to stop reading” kind of way). They just make characters feel shallow, even if they are not. I love romance in books; PNR is one of my favorite genres. That said, when you are in a character’s head and said character keeps debating the proverbial “loves me, loves me not” it distracts you from the story.

However, the thing that I enjoyed the most about the story was its social critic. Chelsan lives in a future where everyone can effectively live forever. They are lucky that society discovered Age-Pro (the miracle pill) when there was still time to save our ecosystems. The major issue, society wise, is overpopulation; and there are some serious drastic measures in place to ensure “quality” living worldwide.

Although this is a sci-fi novel, let’s remove the fiction elements for a bit and see what we are left with. Worldwide population has reached such an all-time high placing such a strain on natural resources that the priorities of all nations have irrevocably shifted.

Some quotes from the book:

“Once the International Law of 2142 was passed requiring the planting of a tree every twenty feet, most people decided to re-plant near extinct trees like the California Oak.”

“The first law to be passed was in 2068 that outlawed anything printed on paper.” “Only e-books were legal. But it just wasn’t enough. There just wasn’t enough plant life on the Earth to sustain the amount of people inhabiting it so they had to make planting more trees a worldwide law.”

For this and more reviews, visit my blog: Journey with Words ( )

“Riser” by Becca C. Smith

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a good Young Adult, Paranormal/Science Fiction novel; there is suspense and mystery involved in the story as well. I recommend "Riser" by Becca C. Smith to readers, both teenagers and adults. I would rate this book 4 STARS overall.

"Riser" is about a teenage girl named Chelsan who can raise and control everything dead within a four mile radius. She sees black swirling holes in the center of every corpse’s chest and it allows her to control them. This ability to contact the dead comes in handy when her family and everyone else from her trailer park are brutally murdered. Chelsan discovers she was the intended target and needs to find out what really happened that awful night. Check out “Riser” by Becca C. Smith to learn the answers that Chelsan found out. Join Chelsan in her adventures as a necromancer and also as an average, bullied high school student with a crush on a guy that doesn’t even notice her. You are sure to find something in this book you will enjoy!

I thought that Ms. Becca C. Smith made a quality character out of Chelsan. Her character was strong and made a good heroine for teenagers to read about. I look forward to reading more books from Becca C. Smith and learning more about Chelsan and the supporting characters!

Brianna Lee Book Reviews
http://www.briannaleereviews.blogspot.com ( )

“Riser” had me from the moment I saw the cover. It is the first novel in a saga by Becca C. Smith about a 18 year old girl who is a senior in high school who has the ability to connect with things that are dead (including humans and plants) and control them. The story takes place in the year 2320. Life for an 18 year old in 2320 isn’t much different than present day. Chelsan Deree lives on the wrong side of the tracks but goes to an elite private school on scholarship where she is treated with distain and is a target from a bully named Jill. Chelsan’s mother married a man who is physically abusive and Chelsan as a child sees this abuse. It isn’t until the events take place in 2320 that she understands why her mother married and stayed with this man.

One big difference between then and now is the introduction of Age-pro, which stops aging at the age you start taking it. This leads to its own problems such as over-population. Age-pro is its own character in this story.

I feel that this book would be enjoyed by tweens, teenagers and young adults. The author has definitely put a new spin on having a power to “resurrect” dead things and shows us through Chelsan how it can be both a huge burden to be different but how sometimes our negatives turn out to be just what we needed in certain situations.

At the focus of the story is when Chelsan’s mother is murdered and Chelsan is then thrown into a fast moving, ever changing world where she tries to find out who the murderer is, learns who her true friends are, and sees how people can surprise you when you least expect it.

It is a good story without a dull moment. I look forward to reading the next book in this series. ( )

Riser is a fast paced novel that takes place in the year 2320. Where since Chelsan was a little kid she had control over the dead. Anything dead. Not just humans - animals, bugs, even plants. She keeps this a secret from everyone, including her mom for fear of being seen as freak. (Even though she already is considered a leech by her classmates because she lives in a trailer park with her mom and step-father.) She can make the dead do whatever she wants- walk, talk, even cook for her. One day everything is normal, least normal as it can be for a girl who can control the dead. But it all changes when her trailor park is terrorized by green smoke killing everyone in it. Including Chelsan's mom, Janet. Chelsan quickly learns that she was the one the green smoke was suppose to kill. The murderer knows she is still alive and will stop at nothing to kill her. She also learns that she is not the only one who has control over the dead...

In Riser all the characters have depth to them. From flirty Nancy, a rich girl who is shunned by the popular kids since becoming bestfriends with the moneyless Chelsan, to Ryan the smartest kid in school who Chelsan has the biggest crush on. And the plot is intricate. There is never a dull moment. This is a book that would be hard for anyone to put down. Even though it takes place in the future it has a realistic feel to it. You can almost imagine this happening hundreds of years from now. Riser is imaginative and original. I look forward to reading the sequel. ( )

Article first published as Book Review: Riser by Becca C. Smith on Blogcritics.

Recognizing death by the black swirling holes located at the center of each corpse she can see, Chelsan Deree finds she has the ability to manipulate the dead. However, not only can she manipulate these once live bodies, but she can also see those that are re-animated by others of her bent.

Chelsan learned at a young age that she has a strange and macabre talent when she killed her brutal and malevolent stepfather. Using her own talent of re-animation, she has maintained the facade not only for her mother but also in order to live a seemingly normal family life. Finding she could not be very far from the corpse though, she found herself quite restricted, including in her choice of schools. The only school close enough to keep up this charade, was a wealthy private school. Understanding she would be out of her element, she is accepted to attend.

Living in a trailer park, barely eking out an existence, she and her family do not have the type of money that those from her new school find necessary. Befriended by two different students, Nancy and Bill, she is relieved. They like her and are not ashamed to be with her. Nancy, because she can and does not care what others think, and Bill, while he has the same motivation, is also one of the richest kids, and makes his own rules. It is Ryan Vaughn though that really intrigues Chelsan. While he tutored her, he was kind and considerate, and just a bit shy. Once the tutoring was completed though, he then barely seemed to acknowledge she existed.

In Riser by Becca C Smith, we follow the lives of Chelsan and her friends. When Chelsan’s life is turned upside down by the death of her beloved mother and her already dead stepfather, she feels as though she has nowhere to turn. In an odd dream like state her mother is able to communicate to her how she was killed as well as how Chelsan became the way she is. It is only now that Ryan makes a stand to stick with her, but Bill and Nancy rally around as well. However, one student in the school, Jill, continues to mimic and create problems for Chelsan, setting her up for trouble at every turn.

Now hunted by the man responsible for her mother’s death, she must make some decisions, and utilize the help and ingenuity of her friends. Death and danger seem to follow them everywhere, and Chelsan finds she must take a stand. Can she and her friends end the killing and find a way for others to hold those responsible, accountable for their actions? Using her skills and talent, can she overcome one of the most powerful men in the world?

Smith has found an interesting and unique talent to highlight her heroine. She brings us a futuristic world, and yet maintains a realistic verve, by creating a very life like rendition of high school as a backdrop. She introduces many of the same games and hazing that occurs in schools everywhere, an used this spring board to catapult our characters into danger and despair.

The characters are wonderful, very much like those we encounter at school and at home, although coming from a high-end lifestyle. They have the same fears and prejudices that create many of the same problems world over, and it is easy to understand the insecurities. Even Jill our protagonist engenders a bit of sympathy at times, based on the information we learn about her own background.

This is a fast paced book full of energy, but with a unique blend of both the believable and unbelievable. We have a form of zombies, a bit of transference, a futuristic world, great friendships, and romance.

This is a fun and frenetic YA read, and if you are your family enjoy fantasy with any of the above mixtures this will be a hit. The action is exciting, the story is both sad and yet a bit strange and the romance is fun. Throw in some re-animation of not just dead people, but bugs and plants as well, you get a generous helping of this unique and strangely credible talent. Smith has written a distinctive and compelling story full of generous and interesting characters, with just that blend of evil and destruction that keeps you guessing.

This book was received through the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material. ( )